Poker Hands: Ranked Best to Worst
Poker hands are ranked from best to worst to decide who wins. Knowing the order of these hands is key to playing well.
-
The royal flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker. It consists of five consecutive cards of the same suit, starting from 10 up to ace.
-
A straight flush is any five consecutive cards of the same suit that isn't a royal flush. Only a royal flush or a higher-ranking straight flush can beat a straight flush.
-
Four of a kind is when you have four cards of the same rank in all four suits. The fifth card in the hand is the highest card available on the table or in your hand.
-
A full house consists of three cards of the same rank in three different suits, plus a pair of another rank in two different suits. If multiple players have a full house, the one with the higher-ranked three of a kind wins the hand.
-
A flush is five cards of the same suit in any order. If multiple players have a flush, the hand with the highest card wins.
-
A straight is when you have five cards in a row of consecutive numerical value, but they can be of more than one suit. An ace can rank as either high (above a king) or low (below a 2), but not both in the same hand.
-
Three of a kind is a poker hand with three cards of the same rank in three different suits. The remaining two highest cards in the hand complete the combination.
-
Two pair in poker consists of two sets of two cards with matching ranks. The remaining card, which is the highest-ranked among those left, completes the hand.
-
A pair in poker is a hand containing two cards of the same rank but in different suits. The other three cards in the hand are the highest-ranked ones available.
-
High card is the lowest-ranked hand. The highest card in the hand is your ‘best hand’. In this case it's the king of spades.